Self-closing and changeable case for postal boxes.



No. 741,724. PATENTED OCT. 20, 1903.

P. SGHULZE. SELF CLOSING AND GHANGEABLE CASE FOR POSTAL BOXES.

. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 6, 1902.

1m MODEL.

L uni ms NORM!- wnzns c0. Moro-virtue wasnma'rox, a. CI

UNITED STATES Patented October 20, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

PAUL SCHULZE, OF ERFURT, GERMANY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 741,724, dated October20, 1903.

Application filed December 6, 1902. Serial No. 134,221- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL SCHULZE, merchant, of 46 Augerstrasse, Erfurt,Germany,

have invented certain new and useful-'Improvements in Self-Closing andChangeable Cases for Postal Boxes, of'which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in self-closing and changeablecases for postal boxes, and has for its object to provide a postal boxwhich shall prevent letters or mail which may be retained in such forcollection from being lost by carelessness or from other causes by themessengers,a further object being to prevent any unauthorizedexamination of the contents. For this purpose a box or casket isprovided which can be shifted into the post-office box which is setapart for the mail of the various firms.

In order that this invention may be more readily understood and carriedinto practical effect, reference is hereby made to the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure l is a longitudinal section of my improved boxupon line 1 1 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a plan View, partly in section,thereof. Fig. 3 is a front elevational view, partly in section, uponline 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4. is a longitudinal section upon line 4 4 ofFig. 2, the postal box being in a particular position in use, whileFigs. 5 and 6 illustrate, upon an enlarged scale, an important detail ofthe invention and are sectional views upon line 5 5 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like letters of referenceindicatecorresponding parts throughout, a represents the box,rwhich is placedwith its open back into the opening I) provided for its reception andready to collect the mail. A flexible closure 0 is arranged to lock-thisopen part, and this closure is made of flexible sheet-steel covering thewhole width of the boxfand traveling on both sides of it in mortises d.On the lower side of this flexible closure 0 cross-bars c c are fittedfor strengthening purposes. Fixed on this closure a projecting catch 6is arranged, which projects through a slot 8 in the top t of the box. Inorder to prevent any letters dropping or being taken out through thisslot 8, a false bottom 1; is provided immediately below it. As long asthe box is open the flexicover of the compartment.

have on the sides facing each other notchesble closure aforesaid restsbetween this false bottom and the cover of the box. (See Fig. 1.)Corresponding to the projection e on closure 0 a spring-catch g is fixedon the cover of the compartment, which engages with the projectionwhenthe box is pushed into the opening intended for its reception. Thefixing of the spring-catch g on the cover of the compartment is easilyeffected it cover and bottom of the compartment are constructed ofperforated tin plates in the following man-- ner: On catch g two pins2,-corresponding in thickness with the holes, are fixed at such adistance from each other that they can be put through two correspondingholes in the These pins z motion that part of the closure which carriesa projection e enters into the bent mortises d, with the effect that theprojection e is lowered so far that the catch 9 at last slips off fromit and offers no more resistance now to the entire removal of the box.

In order to prevent any opening of the box on the part of the messengeror clerk fetching the mail, it is necessary to secure the closure in itslocking position. For this purpose a catch it is. provided, which isaffixed to a spring m on the lower side of the false bottom o, and thiscatch projects through a squarehole in the false bottom 1; over it.

(See Fig. at.) This catch is beveled on its forward side, and thusallows a locking motion of the closure; but supposing that the closureis locked no opening is possible, because the cross-bar c, which hasmoved behind the catch it, engages therewith.

To render an opening of the box possible, catch it must be pulled back.This may be done by means of an angularlever n,which has' its center ofmotion at o and whose one end, n',is bent into a rectangular shape andformed like a wedge. By turning this lever to the left in the positionmarked in Fig. 2 by dotted lines the wedge n moves below spring m, andlifts it down from the bottom 1), which movement also insures that thecatch h is pulled back beneath. (See Fig. 6.) A spring 19 tends to turnthe lever in this direction, but is stopped on account of the other end,71 of the lever h being in contact with the front closing door 7; of thebox. If this door is now opened by a principal who is in possession ofthe key, the working of the lever is left to the eifect of spring andthe catch h recedes again into its position as described before.Consequently the closure is free and can now be pushed up. If door 7a isgoing to be closed again, the lever 07, must be turned back. Catch hthen again occupies its locking position, and the box can be depositedanew into the compartment.

To prevent any disturbances in the distribution of letters at thepost-office, it is necessary that each firm should own two of theseboxes, one of which always remains in the compartment and is onlyexchanged with the other, which has been cleared in the meanwhile.

Having 110w particularly described and ascertained the nature of my saidinvention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare thatwhat I claim is 1. In combination with a compartment for a mail-box, amailreceptacle adapted to fit in said compartment having an open end forreceiving mail, a flexible slidable closure for said open end and meanswhereby said closure will be slid into closed position when thereceptacle is withdrawn from the compartment.

2. In combination, a compartment, a mailbox adapted to fit in saidcompartment, having one end open, a flexible, slidable cover for saidopen end, means for sliding said coverinto closed position as the box iswithdrawn from the compartment and means for automatically locking thecover in closed position.

3. A mail-box, a flexible steel cover for said box, grooves with whichsaid cover engages, a lug or projection e on said cover, a slot in saidbox for said lug, a casing or compartment for said box, and aspring-catch on said casing to engage said lug e to slide said coverinto closed position.

4;. A mail-box, a flexible steel cover for said box, a lug on saidcover, a slot in said box through which said lug projects, a casing, aspring-catch on said casing to engage said lug, a second springcatch insaid box to engage said cover to lock it in closed position and meansfor releasing said lock-catch to open said cover, substantially asdescribed.

5. A box-compartment, a mail-box adapted to fit in said compartment, aflexible steel closure for one end of said box, a lug on said closure, acatch in said compartment adapted to engage said lug when the box iswithdrawn, a spring-lock in said box to lock the closure in closedposition, a spring-pressed pivoted lever for releasing said lock, and alock-door in the other end of said box, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses, this 3d day of July,

PAUL SOIIULZE. Witnesses:

R0131. KNAUF, WILHELM MENSING.

